Method and apparatus for finishing gunstocks



E. w. PITTMAN. METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING GUNSTOCKS.'

:APPLlCATlON FILED NOV- 25,1918

ALI'TORNEY R O N E V m 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

[mail 16 H'fimm Patented June 28, 1921.

WITNESSES:

E. W. PITTMAN.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING GUNSTOCKS.

APPLICATION F ILED NOV. 25 1918. 1,382,852.

Patented June 28, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig.5

WITNESSES a INVENTOR E/Wesl W 1 /7/1774);

A'TI'ORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST W. PITTMAN, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FINISHING GUNSTOCKQS.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST W. PrrTMAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods and Apparatus for Finishing Gunstocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for use in accurately finishing articles and, particularly, for accurately finishing the usual recesses formed in wooden gun stocks to receive metal gun parts.

In manufacturing guns, such as rifles, the wooden stocks thereof are provided with recesses to receive metal parts. The walls of these recesses, as first formed, may have irregularities whichv prevent the accurate seating of. the metal parts. The purpose of this invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for removing the irregularities just mentioned in such manner as to insure the formation of recess walls of permanent and invariable contour toaccurately seat the metal parts which the recesses are adapted to receive.

The above and other objects and the novel features of this invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form parts of this application and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying this invention and adapted for use in finishing the receiver recesses of gun stocks, a rifle stock being shown in dotted lines .in operative position in the machine. Fig. '2 is a transverse .sectional view of the electrically-heated receiver die used in said machine. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of another machine embodying this invention and adapted for use infinishing the magazine recesses of gun stocks, and Fig. 4: is a transverse sectional view of the electrieally-heated magazine die of the machine shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, 10 designates the framework'of apress that is provided with an integral table 11 at its lower end and an overhanging arm 12 at its upper end. A shaft 13 is rotatably mounted in the arm 12 andis connected, by a pinion, (not shown) to a rack 14 on a vertically movable pressing member 15 that is mounted in the arm 12. A hand wheel 16 is pro- Speoification of Letters Patent. Patented June 28 1921 Application filed November 25, 1918.

Serial No. 263,985.

vided for rotating the shaft 13 to raise and lower the member 15, and a lever 17 is also provided for turning the shaft 13 through the agency of a pawl (not shown) and a ratchet wheel 18, the latter being carried by the shaft 13. The lever 17 is provided with a counter-weight 19 to restore it to its vertical position, and a stop 20, in the path of a pin 21 carried by the lever, limits the return movement of the lever. The pressureapplying member 15 has a pressure block 22 pivotally connected to its lower end at 23 so that the block 22 may assume a position corresponding to the upper surface of the rifle stock R, as represented in dotted lines in Fig 1.

he table 11 supports an electricallyheated member D that comprises a die, designated by the letter F, and, as illustrated, having the exact shape and dimensions of a recess that is adapted tov receive and accurately seat certain metal parts of the rifle. It will be understood that dies of different shapes or dimensions or both may be reopuired for different types of rifles. The die 1* consists of a number of separate solid pieces of metal rigidly secured together and attached by suitable screws 24 to a heating block 25. An electric heating element E is clamped to one of the longitudinal faces of the heating block 25 by a clamping plate 26 layers 33 and 34 of heat conducting and electrical-insulating material, such as mica, and, being clamped between the metal blocks 25 and 26, the ribbon heats the latter, the heat being conducted from the metal block 25 to the die F. The large heat-storage capacity of the blocks 25 and 26 insures a uniform distribution of the heat to the die .F. The blocks 25 and 26, together with the heating element E are supported on the metal base 35 which is rigidly secured to the table 11 by the bolts 36. A layer of asbestos board 37 is interposed between the heater blocks 25, 26 and the base 35 to insulate the blocks from the base. A rectangular frame 38 is secured to the base and surrounds, and is spaced from, the heating blocks 25, 26, the space between the frame and the heating blocks being filled with some suitable heat-insulating material, such as asbestos. A layer .0 of asbestos lumber is secured to the top of the frame 38 by screws l-l.

The operation of the machine shown in Fig. 1 will be understood from the foregoing description. A. rifle stock R, having rough recesses already formed therein, is placed in position, as indicated in Fig. 1, with the die If directly below the recess into which it is to be inserted, whereupon the pressureapplying member 15 is lowered until the block 22 engages the rifle stock and the heated die is forced into the recess. The heat softens the gum or resin in the wood to enable the die to displace such surface fibers in the walls of the recess as to provide a surface contour for the recess that shall receive and accurately seat the metal parts intended therefor. The temperature of the die and the duration of the contact of the same with the wooden rifle stock are not suilicient to injure or char the wood.

In Figs. 8 and at, I have illustrated another form of my invention consisting of a machine fitted with a die adapted to remove the irregularities from the walls of the recesses that are adapted to receive the rifle magazines. The machine shown comprises a frame member 101 having a table 111 and an overhanging arm 121. The table 111 supports a suitable form a2, provided with pins 13, to fit recesses in the rifle stock It to hold the rifle steel: in place on the table.

.The overhan ing arm 121 carries a rerticall 23 c movable member ,lhl having a rack (not shown) meshing with a pinion (not shown) carried by a shaft 131, operable by the hau- (llo 16']. By rotating the handle 161, the rod 151 lowered and raised to move the die F into and out of engagement with the magazine recess of the rifle stock B.

As shown in Fig. 4, F consists of two metal plates 44: and 45 and a heating element E clamped between them. The heating element E comprises a heat and electri cal insulating plate 46, of material, such as mica, upon. which is wound a continuous ribbon 417 of suitable electrical. conducting resistance material, the ends of the ribbon 47 being connected to terminals in the receptacle a8,adapted to be connected to an attachment plug 181 and supply conductors 482. Sheets 49 and 50 of mica or similar material are clamped to the opposite sides of the resistance ribbon wound on the plate 46 and between the form plates as and as. The part of the die F that enters the magazine recess of the rifle stock has the exact shape and dimensions of an accurate recess adapted to receive metal magazine parts of the rifle. The operation of the machine shown in 3 will be apparent from the illustration and the foregoing description. l t ith the recessed rifle stock in position, as indicated in Fig. 3, the heated die F is lowered and pressed into the roughly formed magazine recess by turning the handle 161. The temperature of the die is not sufliciently high to injure the wood during the short time that it is in contact with the recess.

y the foregoing method, the recesses of rifle stocks are made uniforn'l, and accurate fitting and seating of the metal parts of the rifles are assured. While I have shown and described certain method and machine de tails, it is to be understood that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In the manufacture of recessed wooden articles, the recesses of which are designed to receive metal-parts, the method of forming and fixing the contour of the recess walls that consists in applying a heated die, under pressure, for such period of time as to insure permanence of contour without charring the material.

2. The method of forming and fixing the contour of the walls of a gun stock recess that consists in forcing into such recess a heated-die having a portion that conforms in shape and dimensions, to the desired recess surface whereby the walls of the recess are heated without being charred and formed to receive and accurately seat the parts in tended therefor.

The method. of harming and fixing the surface contours of recesses in gun stocks that consists in forcing into each of such recesses an electrically heated die having a portion the contour of which is the same as that of the desired recess surface, the temperature of the die and the duration of its engagement with the stock being so related that the stock is not charred.

4. The method of forming and fixing the surface contour of a gun stock recess which consists in forcing into the recess an. electrically heated die provided with a part having the exact shape and dimensions of the desired recess surface and holding the die in the recess, under pressure, until the resins in the recess walls are softened and the fibers permanently rearranged to pro vide a receiving and supporting recess of permanent contour.

. 5. In an apparatus for removing irregularities in the recesses of wooden articles, the combination with a die provided with a portion having the shape and dimensions of the desired recess surface, of means for heating the die and for maintaining it at a uniform temperature, and means for forcing the heated die into the recess.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a supporting member and a relatively movable pressure-applying member, of an electrically-heated die carried by one or" said members and insertible into the recess of a gun stock to mold the surface thereof to receive and accurately seat metal parts intended therefor.

7. In an apparatus for removing irregula rities in the recesses of gun stocks, the combination With a die provided with a portion having the exact shape anddimensions of the desired recess surface, of electrical means for heating the die, meanslfor supporting the gun stock and the die in operative relation, and means for forcing the die into the recess to press out irregularities and adapt said recess to receive and accurately seatmetal parts intended therefor.

8. In an apparatus for removing irregularities in the recesses .of gun stocks, the combination with a die provided with a portion having the exact shape and dimensions of the desired recess surface, of means for heating the die, means for supporting the gun stock and the die in operative relation, and reciprocable pressure-applying means for forcing Said die into said recess to heat the Walls thereof and press out the irregularities therein to adapt the recesses to receive and accurately seat metal parts intended therefor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of Nov'.,

ERNEST W. PITTMAN. 

